Friday, February 17, 2012

Collecting Cameron Highlands Hillslope Water for Health

Often when I go to Cameron Highlands, I see people collecting water from the hillslope. I have heard that the water is considered healthy because of the perception of being sourced naturally from nature. Yet on the other hand we do not know the actual source and whether there is any contamination to the water collected. Of course people want to improve their health wherever possible and if it worked for them, they will collect it and drink it. Personally I'm not so keen to drink it unless absolutely no choice (such as going jungle hiking and camping), Anyway it is good to know and keep in view.

Frequent water collectors speak of its boost in energyStory and photos by Fong Kee Soon
Friday February 17, 2012

FOR more than a decade now, people have been flocking to collect free mineral water from a hillslope at KM10 of the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road leading up to Cameron Highlands.

They believe that the water is therapeutic and can ease joint pains as well as able to boost the energy and stamina of those who consume it.

Auxiliary policeman Zaine Mohd Silan would head out to the spot once a month with enough plastic bottles to collect some 100 litres of water. It is a chore the 56-year-old has been carrying out for the last 10 years.

For consumption: Nor Suhaimi showing two large
plastic bottles filled with the mineral water.

He believes wholeheartedly that the water is safe as it is crystal clear and leaves no residue at the bottom of the containers even after some time.

"Rice cooked with the water also stays fresh longer," he claimed, adding that the water had never made him sick.

The water, added Zaine, has never stopped flowing all these years.

"The flow has been getting weaker though. Now, it takes about a minute to fill up a one-litre bottle compared to previously," he said.

He added that people from neighbouring districts and states also came for the water.

Worth the wait: Zaine filling up the
mineral water with plastic containers.

"I know a doctor who comes all the way from Shah Alam," said Zaine.

His son-in-law, Nor Suhaimi Ishak, 31, helps him transport the water in dozens of plastic containers.

"The water has a distinctive sweet flavour but it does not attract ants the way soft drinks do," said Nor Suhaimi, an Electric Train Service (ETS) technician.

Avid cyclist Hafiz Saad, 32, also stops by for the water whenever he cycles from Simpang Pulai to Kampung Raja on weekends.

Steady supply: The water flows at a constant rate.

"I always see people collecting the water whenever I cycle by, so I had to try too," he said.

THERE is no scientific study to back the "reputation" of the mineral water that flows from a hillslope of the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road.

Despite claims by many that the water contained healing properties, Perak Health director Datuk Dr Ahmad Razin Ahmad Mahir said no studies had been conducted on the water.

"Its reputation of being able to heal is probably based on hearsay.

"We can only advise the people to boil the water before drinking it," said Ahmad Razin.

Bountiful trip: A man filling up a few bottles of the water from the hill slope.

He said even if the water had come from natural sources, it was still untreated.

The simple process of boiling the water, he said, could prevent the impending occurrence of water-borne diseases.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon advised the people not to take chances with their health.

"Crystal clear water may still contain harmful microbes, which are invisible to the naked eye," he said.

Hillslope water nothing special as it has not been testedBy Fong Kee Soon
Monday February 20, 2012

MOST people do not believe that mineral water flowing from a hillslope along KM10 of the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road has special healing properties, as it has not been clinically proven.

Confectionery worker Lee Lein Yi from Simee said people can sometimes be easily swayed by word of mouth.

"I have heard my friends mention about the water some time back.

"Some of the hearsays were so exaggerated. Apparently some people believe that if you wash the car number plate with the water, you would strike the lottery," said the 32-year old.

It was highlighted by The Star that after a decade people still flock to the road leading up to Cameron Highlands to collect the mineral water, which they claim is therapeutic and had healing properties, despite no proof of its supposed "qualities".

Nature's gift: People collecting water from the
hill slope which is located at a stretch along
the 57km highway from Simpang Pulai in Ipoh
to Kampung Raja in Cameron Highlands.

Graphic designer Crystal Tan from Ringlet, Cameron Highlands said the mineral water's reputation could be psychological in nature.

"As the water flows from a hill slope in the middle of a road, it's understandable why people would attribute it as ‘special'.

"I would not drink the mineral water even- though it looks clean and clear as it may still contain harmful virus and bacteria," said Tan, 30.

She added that the water source might be contaminated by fertilizer from farms that had entered the ground.

Homemaker Mak Su Yin, 35, from Tambun would definitely not drink the water unless it has been boiled.

"The source of any mineral water should be verified before it is consumed.

"It should also be tested in the laboratory to be sure of its mineral content," said the mother of two.

Dr Chan Tai Peng, a general practitioner for over 30 years, said the water is unsafe for drinking, as it is unpurified.

"The water flows from a location which is not a proper catchment area.

"It might be vulnerable to contamination from bacteria" he said, adding that the people could be motivated by traditional believes.

He said if people fall sick because of the water, it might be hard to detect as they come from many different places.